So,
Before listening to this meditation track,
You will have already chosen which mindful movements you want to take yourself through today.
But for anybody listening who hasn't had the time to prepare for this,
You're also welcome to continue listening and just to move your body in any way you wish,
Making those movements slow,
Controlled and of course,
Paying close attention.
So before we jump into our movements,
I want to invite you to allow your eyes to close or let you lower your gaze,
Connecting with your breath,
Noticing the flow of your in-breath,
The flow of your out-breath,
The rise and fall of your chest,
The expansion in your back,
Movements in your shoulders.
Following the in-breath and following the out-breath.
And beginning now to move your body,
Choosing to go through your mindful movement today,
The movement which is personal to you.
So choosing any movement you wish,
Moving the body slowly and mindfully,
Being aware of all the sensations you feel,
Changes in sensations and every time your mind wants to wonder which it will,
You can gently bring your focus back to your breath,
To the body,
To the movement.
Maybe playing around with your movement,
Slowing it down,
Speeding it up,
Matching the movement with the breath,
Slowly breathing in,
Moving one way,
Slowly breathing out,
Moving another way.
And the mind will wonder and drift and dream and that's okay.
This is what happens,
It's what minds do,
They think and that's absolutely fine.
All we are doing here is paying attention to the present moment,
To your direct felt experience of movement in the body,
The felt sense of your breath,
Of this very moment and the mind will wonder.
But the magic moment in mindfulness is noticing that this has happened and when you notice,
You can gently and kindly bring your awareness back,
Flowing into each movement,
Moving the body in any way you choose and being curious,
Allowing that relaxation response to unravel,
Using that breath to dispel any anxious feelings,
Any anxious thoughts,
Allowing them to dissipate and simply focusing on the movements in your body,
Not thinking,
Not planning,
Not worrying,
Just noticing sensation.
I want to remind you also that mindful movement isn't about rushing the movement or trying too hard.
We talk about this idea of a hard and soft edge when we talk about movement.
So a hard edge is when we try too hard,
Imagine slamming a door instead of gently closing it.
And a softer edge is when we apply little effort.
So what we're aiming for in mindful movement is a middle ground between the hard and the soft edge,
Not trying too hard,
But also not trying too little either.
And so now coming into stillness,
How does this feel?
How do you feel now you are still and not moving?
So you can choose to continue on with some more mindful movement at your own pace,
Or you can choose to end this mindful movement meditation here today.
I hope that this meditation found you at a time that you needed it.
So sending all my love to you,
Whoever you are,
Wherever you are in the world,
And you take care.
